Pharma Key Accounts Manager

Role Overview

The Commercial Account & Channel Manager is responsible for driving sustainable revenue growth, market access, and channel effectiveness across both direct key accounts (open market / uni-branded portfolio) and indirect channels (distributor-led branded generics business).

This role requires a balance of strategic account planning, commercial acumen, and hands-on execution, ensuring strong customer partnerships, optimized pricing strategies, and disciplined distributor management. The position plays a critical role in expanding market presence, strengthening trade relationships, and delivering against sales and profitability targets.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Key Account Management (Open Market / Uni-Branded Portfolio)

• Lead end-to-end management of assigned key accounts, including hospitals, clinics, pharmacy chains, and institutional buyers
• Develop robust account plans covering sales targets, assortment expansion, distribution objectives, and profitability improvement
• Drive account penetration and share-of-wallet growth through strategic engagement and tailored commercial initiatives
• Establish and maintain high-level stakeholder relationships (procurement, medical, operations, and commercial teams)
• Analyze account performance using sell-in/sell-out data to identify risks, gaps, and growth opportunities
• Ensure consistent execution of trade programs, agreements, and service-level expectations

2. Business Development & Market Expansion

• Identify and onboard new open-market accounts, expanding reach and availability of the portfolio
• Increase product listings and visibility across priority accounts and channels
• Lead execution of sell-in and sell-out programs, including promotions, bundling strategies, and account-specific activations
• Support new product introductions, ensuring strong launch execution, distribution build-up, and early adoption
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (Marketing, Medical, Supply Chain) to align commercial initiatives with overall brand strategy
• Provide market intelligence and customer insights to refine go-to-market approaches

3. Pricing & Commercial Strategy Execution

• Develop and recommend account-specific pricing strategies, discount structures, and trade terms within company guidelines
• Ensure alignment between pricing strategy and profitability targets, balancing volume growth with margin protection
• Monitor market pricing trends, competitor movements, and channel dynamics to inform tactical decisions
• Lead commercial negotiations with key accounts, securing favorable and sustainable agreements
• Enforce pricing discipline across accounts and channels, minimizing leakages and inconsistencies

4. Distributor & Channel Management (Branded Generics Portfolio)

• Manage and develop distributor partners to ensure strong market coverage, availability, and execution excellence
• Drive joint business planning (JBP) with distributors, including target setting, growth strategies, and investment priorities
• Conduct regular business reviews to evaluate sales performance, stock levels, receivables, and operational KPIs
• Strengthen distributor accountability on forecasting accuracy, inventory management, and sell-out performance
• Ensure strict adherence to pricing policies, discount structures, and trade marketing programs
• Identify capability gaps and work with distributors to improve field execution, coverage, and reporting quality

5. Performance Management, Forecasting & Reporting

• Deliver accurate sales forecasts, demand plans, and pipeline visibility across accounts and distributors
• Track and analyze KPIs including revenue growth, distribution reach, account profitability, and program effectiveness
• Utilize CRM and analytics tools to maintain data-driven account management and decision-making
• Prepare and present business reviews, performance reports, and strategic recommendations to internal stakeholders
• Continuously identify opportunities to improve commercial efficiency and channel productivity

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Pharmacy, or a related discipline
• Minimum 3–5+ years of relevant experience in:
  • Key account management
  • Pharmaceutical, healthcare, or FMCG commercial roles
  • Distributor-led or multi-channel sales environments
• Proven track record in managing key accounts and driving revenue growth
• Experience in handling pricing, trade terms, and commercial negotiations
• Exposure to open market channels and/or institutional accounts is highly advantageous
• Strong working knowledge of Excel, PowerPoint, and CRM/reporting systems

Core Competencies

• Commercial Acumen: Strong understanding of pricing, margins, and channel economics
• Negotiation & Influence: Ability to secure favorable terms while maintaining long-term partnerships
• Account Management Excellence: Structured approach to planning, execution, and performance tracking
• Analytical Thinking: Ability to translate data into actionable business insights
• Stakeholder Management: Effective engagement across internal teams and external partners
• Execution Discipline: Strong follow-through and ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment